Vending machine for pads of paper or the like



Jan. 11, 1966 5 p, HUFFMAN 3,228,554

VENDING MACHINE FOR PADS OF PAPER OR THE LIKE Filed Oct. 1, 1962 2Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

F5 Elli/x2 PAUL HUFFMAN j mww A TTOE/VEKS Jan. 11, 1966 E. P. HUFFMAN3,228,554

VENDING MACHINE FOR PADS OF PAPER OR THE LIKE Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct.1

United States Patent 3,228,554 VENDING MACHINE FOR PADS OF PAPER OR THELIKE Edgar Paul Huffman, Belmont, N.C., assignor to Carolina Pad andPaper Company, Inc., Charlotte, N.C., a corporation of North CarolinaFiled Oct. 1, 1962, Ser. No. 227,165 6 Claims. (Cl. 221-41) The presentinvention relates to a vending machine and more particularly to animproved vending machine for pads of paper or the like.

In conventional vending machines, the articles to be vended are normallycontained therein in stacked relation with the bottom article in thestack alined with an opening through which the articles are successivelydispensed. A pusher member engages the rearward edge of the bottomarticle in the stack and pushes the same outwardly through the opening.This pusher member normally is moved to dispense an article through theopening by a coin responsive slide which has means thereon for engagingthe pusher member.

Conventional coin responsive slide mechanisms have means associatedtherewith for limiting the distance that the same can be moved inwardlywhen a coin has not been deposited therein. However, even with such stopmeans the slide can move through a considerable range of movementwithout a coin being placed therein and through a considerably greaterrange of movement with a coin therein without the coin being depositedin the coin collecting mechanism.

Several deficiencies have been encountered in the use of conventionalvending apparatus, one of which is that the slide and therefore thepusher member may be reciprocated with a coin in position on the slidewhich reciprocation of the pusher member beneath the stack of articleswill either damage the bottom article in the stack due to the frictionalengagement therewith, or will cause anunauthorized vending of thisbottom article through the opening in the front of the apparatus.

Another deficiency of conventional vending apparatus resides in the factthat the same are readily susceptible to tampering and unauthorizedvending of articles by the insertion of a hooked member, wire, etc.within the opening through which the articles are to be dispensed, whichmay be engaged with the articles therein. The articles may be drawnoutwardly through the opening in the apparatus by such members withoutthe deposit of a coin in the apparatus.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide animproved vending machine which obviates the aforementioned problems andprovides a vending machine constructed and arranged to prevent tamperingand unauthorized vending of the articles therefrom.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improvedvending machine wherein a coin responsive slide is latched to a pushermember only when the slide is moved rearwardly to fully retractedposition and wherein the slide is unlatched from the pusher member whenthe same reaches the extended position after each dispensing operationto thus prevent unauthorized reciprocation of the pusher member beneaththe stack of articles.

A more specific object of the present invention is to provide animproved vending machine wherein an opening is provided and whereinmeans is mounted within this opening and is adjustable relative to thebottom wall of the opening to define a space therebetween accommodatingarticles of varying thickness to be dispensed and wherein said meansextends substantially for the full length of said opening and curvesoutwardly and downwardly from said opening to close the opening tofrontal view to thus prevent tampering and unauthorized vending ofarticles from the machine.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objectswill appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings, in which- FIGURE 1 is a perspective view ofthe improved vending machine of the present invention with a portionbroken away for clarity in viewing the elements disposed therebehind;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical section through the apparatus shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical section taken substantially along line 33 inFIGURE 2 with portions broken away;

FIGURE 4 is a horizontal section taken substantially along line 44 inFIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken substantiallyalong line 55 in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 5 showing some of the elements in adifferent operational position;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantiallyalong line 77 in FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantiallyalong line 88 in FIGURE 4.

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGURE 1, thevending machine of the present invention is generally indicated at 10and comprises a generally closed housing 11 including front, rear, side,top and bottom walls 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16, respectively. Top wall 15 ispivotally mounted on rear wall 13 by a hinge 17 for provided access tothe interior of housing 11 and is normally maintained in closed positionby a lock 20 (FIGURE 2).

Front wall 12 has a horizontally disposed elongate opening 21 formed ina medial portion thereof and extending for substantially the full widththereof. A partition 22 is mounted on side walls 14 by suitable rivets23 (FIGURE 3) extending through down-turned flange portions of partition22 and through side walls 14 and partition 22 extends between rear wall13 and front wall 12 (FIGURE 4) and has the front portion thereofresting on the bottom wall of opening 21.

A vertically adjustable member 24 is mounted on the inner surface offront wall 12 by bolts 25 which extend through vertically elongateopenings 26 formed inmember 24 and into suitably internally threadedopenings formed in front wall 12. Member 24 has a flange portion 24aextending outwardly through opening 21 in spaced relation to the bottomwall of opening 21 and the front portion of partition 22 resting thereonto provide a space therebetween through which a bottom article a of astack of articles S is vended. Flange portion 24a forms a restriction inopening 21 to vary the effective size thereof to accommodate articles ofvarying thickness and curves outwardly and downwardly from front wall 12a distance such that the outer side edge is disposed at an elevation nohigher than the bottom wall of opening 21 to close the opening tofrontal View. Side walls 14 have flanges 14a which extend outwardly atopposite ends of flange portion 24a to close the ends of the spacebetween flange portion 24a and the bottom wall of opening 21.

It is noted that flange portion 24a is of a length substantially thesame as the width of front wall 12 and extends substantially the fulldistance between side walls 14. It is further noted that theadjustability of member 24 relative to partition 22 and the 'bottom wallof opening 21 readily accommodates articles of varying thickness to bevended while the outwardly and downwardly curving j other end thereofopposite from the configuration of flange portion 24a effectivelyprevents tampering or unauthorized vending of articles from the vendingmachine 10.

Partition 22 has an elongate opening 27 formed therein which extendslongitudinally from rear wall 13 toward front wall 12 and terminates ata point spaced rearwardly from front wallv 12. A pair of guides 28 aremounted on or formed integrally with the lower surface of partition 22on opposite sides of opening 27 and slidably mount a pusher member 30for sliding movement between a first position adjacent rear wall 13 anda second position spaced from the first position and adjacent front wall12 to successively vend the articles through the space between flangeportion 24a and the front portion of partition 22.

A flange member 31 is adjustably mounted on the rear edge of pushermember 30 by bolts 32 penetrating through a downtu-rned flange portion30a on pusher member 30 and through vertically elongated openings inflange member 31. Flange member 31 has a forwardly projecting lip 31a atits upper edge which is adapted to overly a portion of the article beingdispensed. It is noted that flange member 31 is adjustable relative topusher member 30 such that lip 31a is disposed above pusher member 30 adistance equal to the thickness of the article to be dispensed such thatthe rear edge portion of the lower article in the stack will be receivedtherebetween to hold the rear edge against upward movement duringdispensing of the article to insure that an article is dispensed uponeach movement of pusher member 30 from the first position to the secondposition. 7

A stud 33 is mounted on the bottom surface of pusher member 30 andextends downwardly therefrom into the path of travel of a slide 34 whichis part of a coin responsive actuating mechanism 35. Actuating mechanism35 also includes a housing 36 which is mounted on front wall 12 belowopening 21 by bolts 37 and has a portion 36a extending outwardly fromfront wall 12 and a portion 36b extending inwardly through an opening infront wall 12 and rearwardly therefrom toward rear wall 13.

,Housing 36 slidably mounts slide 34 forsliding movement between anextended position (FIGURE wherein the inner end thereof is adjacentfront wall 12 and a coin receiving opening 38 therein is exposed forreceipt of a coin and a retracted position (FIGURE 6) wherein the innerend of slide 34 is adjacent rear Wall 13.

A stop mechanism 40 is mounted on portion 36b of housing 36 and includesa pivotally mounted member 41 which is biased in a manner not shown intoengagement with slide 34 such that the end thereof enters coin opening38 if a coin is not positioned therein and strikes the rear wall ofopening 38 to prevent further inward movement of slide 34. A spring 42is connected at one end to housing 36 and at the other end to the innerend of slide 34 for biasing slide 34 toward the extended position.

It is noted that housing 36 includes an opening (not shown) in thebottom of portion 3615, which when alined with opening 38 in slide 34will permit a coin to fall downwardly into a coin collecting mechanism44 which is in the form of an open top drawer slidably mounted on bottomwall 16 and in an opening in front wall 12. Coin collecting mechanism 44is normally maintained in closed position by a lock 45.

A latch member 50 is pivotally mounted on the inner end of sl1de 34 by ascrew 51 penetrating therethrough intermedrate its ends. Latch member 50includes a hook portion 52 at one end and a follower portion 53 at itsother end. Follower portion 53 has an opening therein which is disposeda guide member 54, which is mounted at one end on portion 36b of housing36 by a bolt 55. Guide member 54 includes a first abutment 54a at theend mounted on housing 36. Abutment 54a is olfset laterally from thebody of guide member 54 and is disposed in the path of travel offollower portion 53 thcrealong adjacent the retracted position of slide34. Guide member 54 includes a second abutment 54b also disposed in thepath of travel of follower portion 53 adjacent the extended position ofslide 34.

In operation, a stack of articles S is deposited in vending machine 10by pivoting top wall 15 upwardly after the same has been unlocked by asuitable ,key being inserted in lock 20. The bottom article in the stackrests on partition 22 and on pusher member 30. The top wall 15 is thenmoved to the closed position in which it is locked. by lock 20.

When an article is desired to be vended, a coin of suitable size isdeposited in opening 38 in slide 34 and slide 34 is pushed rearwardlytoward the retracted position. As slide 34 moves toward the retractedposition, the inner end thereof engages stud 33 and pushes the same andhence pusher member 30, from the second to the first position. As slide34 nears the retracted position, follower portion 53 of latch member 50engages first abutment 54a on guide member 54 and upon further inwardmovement of slide 34, latch member 50 is pivoted counterclockwise, asseen in FIGURES 5 and 6, to position hook portion 52 behind stud 33 oron the opposite side of stud 33 from the inner end of slide 34.

With pusher member 30 in the first position, flange member 31 isdisposed behind the rearward edge of the bottom article. Pusher member30 is then moved for- Wardly upon movement of slide 34 from theretracted position toward the extended position by engagement of hookportion 52 of latch member 50 with stud 33. Flange member 31 engages therearward edge of the bottom article with lip 31a moving between thebottom article and the penultimate article in the stack. Flange member31 slides the bottom article forwardly along partition 22 and theforwardedge of the article or pad of paper is pushed outwardly throughthe space defined by flange portion 24a and the front portion ofpartition 22. Since the articles or pads of paper are relativelyflexible, the same have no difliculty in negotiating the curve definedby the outwardly and downwardly curving flange portion. It is noted thatthe forward movement of pusher member 30 is sufficiently large to pushthe forward edge portion of the article or pad of paper outwardly of theouter end of flange portion 24a a suflicient distance that the same canbe grasped and pulled from vending machine 10 by the customer.

As slide 34 nears the extended position, follower portion 53 of latchmember 50 engages second abutment 54b disposed in its path of travel andupon further movement of slide 34 toward the extended position, latchmember 50 is pivoted in a clockwise direction, as seen in FIGURES 5 and6, to move hook portion 52 thereof from behind stud 33. It is noted thathook portion 52 of latch member 50 is only moved into position to engagestud 33 upon movement of slide 34 to the fully retracted position whichis only possible when a coin has been placed in opening 38 in slide 34and which will result in this coin being deposited in coin collectingmechanism 44. Reciprocation of pusher member 30 beneath the stack ofarticles without a coin in opening 38 or, if a coin is disposed inopening 38, without this coin being deposited in coin collectingmechanism 44 is thereby prevented.

It will therefore be apparent that an improved vending machine isprovided which is constructed and arranged to prevent tampering andunauthorized vending of articles therefrom and which is provided with animproved mechanism for the pusher member to prevent damage to thearticles to be vended due to reciprocation of the pusher member withoutthe deposit of a coin in the coin collecting mechanism.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferredembodiment of the invention and, although specific terms are employed,they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not forpurposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in theclaims.

I claim:

1. A vending machine for successively vending stacked articles, such aspads of paper and the like, said vending machine comprising (a) ahousing having a horizontally disposed elongate opening therein throughwhich the articles are to be vended, and article supporting means forsupporting the stacked articles within the housing with the bottomarticle a-lined with said elongate opening,

(b) pusher means slidably mounted on said article supporting means formovement between a first position spaced rearwardly from said elongateopening and a second position adjacent said elongate opening tosuccessively push articles through said opening,

(c) an elongate slide slidably mounted on said housing for movementbetween a retracted position wherein the inner end thereof is spacedrearwardly from said elongate opening and corresponds to the firstposition of said pusher means and an extended position wherein the innerend thereof is adjacent said elongate opening and corresponds to thesecond position of said pusher means, and

(d) latch means carried by said slide and engageable with said pushermeans when said slide is moved to retracted position to latch saidpusher means to said slide for movement therewith to the extendedposition, said latch means being disengaged from said pusher means whensaid slide reaches the extended position.

2. The structure set forth in claim 1 wherein said latch means comprises(1) a latch member pivotally mounted on the inner end portion of saidslide for movement therewith and including a hook portion at one end anda follower portion at the other end,

(2) means disposed in the path of travel of said follower portion as thesame moves with said slide toward the retracted position for pivotingsaid latch member to operatively engage said hook portion with saidpusher means, and

(3) means disposed in the path of travel of said follower portion as thesame moves with said slide toward the extended position for pivotingsaid latch member to move said hook portion out of engagement with saidpusher means.

3. The structure recited in claim 1 wherein said pusher means comprises(1) a pusher member slidably mounted on said article supporting means,

(2) a flange member mounted on the rear portion of said plunger memberfor vertical adjustment to accommodate articles of varying thickness andhaving a forwardly extending lip at its upper edge overlying a portionof said pusher member and being adapted to receive the rear edge portionof the article to be dispensed therebeneath to hold the rear edgeportion against upward movement, and

(3) a stud mounted on and depending from said pusher member into thepath of travel of said inner end of said slide and said latch meanscarried thereby.

4. A vending machine for successively vending stacked articles, such aspads of paper and the like, said vending machine comprising (a) ahousing having a horizontally disposed elongate opening therein throughwhich the articles are adapted to be vended, and article supportingmeans for supporting the stacked articles within the housing with thebottom article alined with said elongate opening,

(b) a pusher member slidably mounted on said article supporting meansfor movement between a first position wherein the same is spacedreawardly from said 6 elongate opening and a second position wherein thesame is adjacent said elongate opening,

(c) a flange member vertically adjustably mounted on the rear portion ofsaid pusher member and being adapted to engage the rear edge of thearticle and to push the same forwardly and outwardly through saidelongate opening as said pusher member moves from the first position tothe second position, said flange member including a forwardly projectinglip at its upper portion overlying a portion of said pusher member andbeing adapted to receive the rear edge portion of the article beingdispensed therebeneath to hold the rear edge portion against upwardmovement as said flange member pushes the article through said elongateopening,

(d) a stud mounted on and depending from said pusher member,

(e) an elongate slide mounted on said housing for sliding movementbetween a retracted posit-ion wherein the inner end thereof is spacedrearwardly from said elongate opening and corresponds to the firstposition of said pusher member and an extended position wherein theinner end thereof is adjacent said elongate opening and corresponds tothe second position of said pusher member,

(f) a latch member pivotally mounted on the inner end portion of saidslide for movement therewith and including a hook portion at one end anda follower portion at the other end,

(g) means disposed in the path of travel of said follower portion as thesame moves with said slide toward the retracted position and beingengageable with said follower portion for pivoting said latch member tooperatively engage said hook portion thereof with said stud, and

(h) means disposed in the path of travel of said follower portion assaid latch member moves with said slide toward the extended position andbeing engageable with said follower portion for pivoting said latchmember to move said hook portion out of operative engagement with saidstud.

5. A vending machine for successively vending stacked articles, such aspads of paper and the like, said vending r machine comprising (a) aclosed housing including (1) front, rear, side, top and bottom walls,said front wall having a horizontally disposed elongate opening therein,and

(2) a partition mounted on said side walls intermediate said top andbottom walls and extending between said front and rear walls and adaptedto suport the stacked articles thereon with the bottom article alinedwith said opening,

(b) elongate flange means adjustably mounted on said front wall andextending through said elongate opening therein and defining arestriction therein for varying the effective size of the opening toaccommodate articles of varying thickness, said flange means curvingoutwardly and downwardly from said front wall to close said opening tofrontal view,

(0) a pusher member slidably mounted on said partition for movementtoward and away from said front wall between a first position whereinthe same is adjacent the rear wall and a second position wherein thesame is adjacent the front wall,

(d) a flange member vertically adjustably mounted on said pusher memberand adapted to engage the bottom article to eject the same through saidopening when said pusher member moves from the first position to thesecond position, said flange member having a forwardly extending lip atits upper portion overlying a portion of said pusher member and adaptedto receive the rear portion of the bottom article therebeneath to holdthis rear portion against upward movement as the bottom article ispushed outwardly through said opening,

(e) a stud mounted on and depending from said pusher member,

(f) an elongate slide mounted on said front wall for sliding movementbetween a retracted position wherein the inner end thereof is adjacentsaid rear wall and an extended position spaced forwardly from saidretracted position and adjacent said front wall,

(g) a latch member pivotally mounted on the inner end portion of saidslide for movement therewith and including (1) a hook portion at oneend, and (2) a follower portion at the other end having an openingtherethrough,

(h) a guide member positioned parallel to said slide and extendingsubstantially between the retracted and extended positions thereof andbeing disposed in the opening in said follower portion of said latchmember, said guide member having 1) first abutment means disposed in thepath of travel of said follower portion adjacent the retracted positionof said slide for pivoting said latch member in a direction to positionsaid hook portion behind said stud, and

(2) second abutment means disposed in the path of travel of saidfollower portion adjacent the extended position of said slide forpivoting said latch member in the other direction to move said hookportion from behind said stud.

6. A vending machine for successively vending stacked articles, such aspads of paper and the like, said vending machine comprising (a) ahousing having a horizontally disposed elongate opening therein, andarticle supporting means for supporting the stacked articles with thebottom article alined with said elongate opening,

(b) elongate flange means adjustably carried by said housing at saidelongate opening and forming a restriction in said opening for varyingthe effective size thereof to accommodate articles of varying-thickness,said elongate flange means curving outwardly and downwardly from saidhousing to close said opening to frontal view,

(c) pusher means slidably mounted on said article supporting means formovement between a first position spaced rearwardly from said elongateopening and a second position adjacent said elongate opening tosuccessively push the bottom article of the stacked articles throughsaid opening, said pusher means including a vertically adjustable flangemember adapted to engage the rear portion of the bottom article to ejectthe same through said elongate opening when said pusher means moves fromthe first position to the second position and having a forwardlyextending lip at its upper port-ion overlying a portion of said pushermeans and adapted to receive the rear portion of the bottom articletherebeneath to positively hold this rear portion of the bottom articleagainst upward movement as the bottom article is pushed through saidelongate opening, and

(d) actuating means carried by said housing and engageable with saidpusher means for moving the same between said first and second positionsto sequentially vend the stacked articles through said opening.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 839,304 12/1906Long 221-241 X 919,927 4/1909 Neumann et al. 221-36 X 1,466,492 8/1923Stiriss 221 241 X 1,678,650 7/1928 Richardson et al. 221--241 1,720,5887/1929 Cameron 22l36 2,373,217 4/1945 Allen 22144 LOUIS I. DEMBO,Primary Examiner.

RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Examiner.

6. A VENDING MACHINE FOR SUCCESSIVELY VENDING STACKED ARTICLES, SUCH ASPADS OF PAPER AND THE LIKE, SAID VENDING MACHINE COMPRISING (A) AHOUSING HAVING A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED ELONGATED OPENING THEREIN, ANDARTICLE SUPPORTING MEANS FOR SUPPORTING THE STACKED ARTICLES WITH THEBOTTOM ARTICLE ALINED WITH SAID ELONGATE OPENING, (B) ELONGATE FLANGEMEANS ADJUSTABLY CARRIED BY SAID HOUSING AT SAID ELONGATE OPENING ANDFORMING A RESTRICTION IN SAID OPENING FOR VARYING THE EFFECTIVE SIZETHEREOF TO ACCOMMODATE ARTICLES OF VARYING THICKNESS, SAID ELONGATEFLANGE MEANS CURVING OUTWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID HOUSING TO CLOSESAID OPENING TO FRONTAL VIEW, (C) PUSHER MEANS SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAIDARTICLE SUPPORTING MEANS FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN A FIRST POSITION SPACEDREARWARDLY FROM SAID ELONGATE OPENING AND A SECOND POSITION ADJACENTSAID ELONGATE OPENING TO SUCCESSIVELY PUSH THE BOTTOM ARTICLE OF THESTACKED ARTICLES THROUGH SAID OPENING, SAID PUSHER MEANS INCLUDING AVERTICALLY ADJUSTAVLE FLANGE MEMBER ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE REAR PORTIONOF THE BOTTOM ARTICLE TO EJECT THE SAME THROUGH SAID ELONGATE OPENINGWHEN SAID PUSHER MEANS MOVES FROM THE FIRST POSITION TO THE SECONDPOSITION AND HAVING A FORWARDLY EXTENDING LIP AT ITS UPPER PORTIONOVERLYING A PORTION OF SAID PUSHER MEANS AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THE REARPORTION OF THE BOTTOM ARTICLE THEREBENEATH TO POSITIVELY HOLD THIS REARPORTION OF THE BOTTOM ARTICLE AGAINST UPWARD MOVEMENT AS THE BOTTOMARTICLE IS PUSHED THROUGH SAID ELONGATE OPENING, AND (D) ACTUATING MEANSCARRIED BY SAID HOUSING AND ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID PUSHER MEANS FOR MOVINGTHE SAME BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND POSITIONS TO SEQUENTIALLY VENDTHE STACKED ARTICLES THROUGH SAID OPENING.